Ideally, an early years classroom is spacious, allowing for a number of different areas that stimulate children to learn through exploration. But what if this isn’t the case? What can you do to maximise learning space when your classroom is small?
This is something I’ve had to grapple with recently - and although it’s taken creativity and careful planning, I’ve finally reached a design that makes the most of the limited space. Here’s what I did.
1. Furniture and storage
It can be challenging to store resources so they are “on hand” to retrieve at a moment’s notice when you don’t have much space. Having plenty of shelving - placed against the walls, so children can still flow around the room - can be a big help.
Because we can’t have a dedicated playdough or art table, the playdough and art equipment lives on shelving close to multi-use tables, which allows children to freely access these resources. Early on in the first term, I model how to collect and use this equipment.
Collapsible or adaptable furniture is also really useful. For example, I have a foldable tuff spot (a heavy-duty builder’s mixing tray) stored behind my desk, which can be used for all kinds of purposes. Rather than having multiple trays - sand, water, messy - I simply have a water tray that I adapt into all three, depending on what the children are interested in.
In my old, larger classroom, I had an extra whiteboard that I could move around the room. Now, to save space, I have one that can be attached to radiators.
2. Role play
Early years teachers are often encouraged to support three different types of role play: fantasy, domestic and topic related. In a small setting, it’s not possible to have an area for all of these, but by thinking creatively and observing how children play, there are workarounds.
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The key to success is to keep things simple and temporary; instead of having everything out, all of the time, follow the children’s lead in what they’re interested in. For example, when my class wanted to create a fantasy role play environment, I pegged up fabric to make a “cave”, and it was only when they showed interest in cafés and restaurants that I added a till and toy food to the domestic home corner.
3. Aiding movement
Young children need to be able to make large, gross-motor movements. To tackle this, I tape large pieces of paper across tables, under tables or on the floor. Children can paint on this paper or draw out tracks for vehicles and it allows more room for shoulder pivots than drawing or painting next to one another on small tables.
I also encourage children to make these gross-motor movements outside using large brushes to sweep on the floor, fences and puddles. Washing windows outside my classroom also supports shoulder pivoting and large arm movements.
4. Redesigning the room for different lessons
Different lessons require different amounts of space, so you need to carefully consider when these lessons will happen. For example, I always teach physical activities like PE, dance or yoga at the end of the day. This allows me to move all the tables to the sides of the room while the children are playing outside and then put them back once they’ve left for the day.
Similarly, when we complete small group work, I plan in advance where and when these sessions should take place. For example, if the focus is conversation and discussion, one group may work in the cloakroom, which has a carpeted area and enough space for children to sit comfortably, while another is in the classroom. At other times, I will take one group to a table in turn, while my assistant interacts with the rest of the class in continuous provision.
So, while no early years teacher would choose to have a small classroom, if you find yourself with a space that isn’t as big as you’ve had in the past, there’s no need to despair: with some simple adaptations, it can still be an effective learning environment for our youngest learners.
Jess Gosling is an international teacher and author of Becoming a Successful International Teacher. She tweets @JessGosling2
